Alessandria
16/06/2023 - 01/10/2023

Cultural

Description

In Alessandria, the exhibition entitled Ritorni a Beirut_Back to Beirut of Maestro Gabriele Basilico will be open to the public from 16 June to 1 October. The exhibition, presented for the first time in Italy, puts on show the work produced during the four photography missions in Beirut in 1991, 2003, 2008 and 2011. The photographer from Milan is considered one of the most authoritative Italian photographers of the 20th century. His photos have told the urban changes and infinite architectural complexities.

The first mission is in 1991: on behalf of Fondazione Hariri, Lebanese writer Dominique Eddé invites an international group of photographers to document the central area of the city of Beirut, torn apart by a war lasted fifteen years, before its reconstruction. The project saw the participation of Gabriele Basilico, René Burri, Raymond Depardon, Fouad Elkoury, Robert Frank and Josef Koudelka. During his missions in the Lebanese city, Gabriele Basilico establishes a deep relationship with the places he immortalises. In 2003, Basilico wrote: “The practice of returning creates a singular sentimental disposition: like the waiting for a longed-for appointment, a reawakening of the memory for places, objects, people, as if the engine of a car was being turned on again after being off for a long time. For Beirut it was even more”.

The exhibition, commissioned by the Municipal Administration of Alessandria, is organised by the Azienda Speciale Multiservizi Costruire Insieme in collaboration with and curated by Giovanna Calvenzi of the Gabriele Basilico Archive and Christian Caujolle, artistic director.

The photography exhibition is an opportunity to discover the city of Alessandria with Borsalino its historical brand of excellence made in Italy, its urban architecture, and the works of Ignazio Gardella. The city features many buildings designed by the famous Maestro, some of which are true milestones of 20th century architecture. In the city of Alessandria, Gardella created buildings with purposes very different one from the other, in which shape was always closely connected to function. Many of them were commissioned by the Borsalino family, enlightened industrialists and benefactors of the city. The first projects date to the late 1920s, when Ignazio worked alongside his father Arnaldo, and the last to the 1990s in association with his son Jacopo.

Price

235.00 €
per person - based on 2 people The price includes overnight stay in centrally located 4* hotel in a double room with breakfast – visit the Exhibition of Gabriele Basilico in the Art Rooms of Alessandria – guided tour of the works of Ignazio Gardella – entrance to Borsalino Museum – dinner in restaurant (excluding wines) – health insurance The price does not include transfers, city tax, meals not listed, beverages at dinner and anything not listed under the price includes. Price per person based on max 4 people euro 190
 

For confidential and B2B rates please contact the operator offering the package directly.
 

Info

Day 1 
Arrive to Alessandria by own means and free time to visit the photography exhibition GABRIELE BASILICO/Ritorni a Beirut_Back to Beirut in the Art Rooms on Via Machiavelli 13.

To follow, visit to the Borsalino Museum. The Borsalino hat, symbol of Made in Italy, has always been produced in Alessandria in the historical artisan factory founded in 1857. The Museum features modern multimedia supports which will take the visitor back over the story of the Borsalino family and its unbreakable bond with the city. The route continues through the eight monumental showcases designed by Arnaldo Gardella for the ancient Borsalino Sample Room which pace the passage between as many narrative sections with more than 2000 hats on show. A journey between cinema, art and design, through the most famous hat in the world.

Dinner in city-centre restaurant with traditional menu.
Overnight stay in hotel

Day 2
After breakfast meet with the guide and tour to discover the architectural treasures of Ignazio Gardella:
Borsalino Offices (1929, engineering firm of Gardella and Martini); corso 100 cannoni corner with via Cavour
    • Fur cutting facility (1955-56), corso XX settembre corner with via Wagner
    • Borsalino employee housing (1950-52), corso Borsalino 15 and 17
    • Paediatric pavilion of the “Cesare Arrigo” Children’s hospital (1956-57), spalto Marengo 46
    • Anti-tuberculosis dispensary (1936-38), via don Francesco Gasparolo, 2-4
    • Hygiene and prophylaxis laboratory (1937-39), via don Francesco Gasparolo, 1
    • Former St. James pyschiatric hospital  (1900-1907, engineering firm of Gardella and Martini), spalto Marengo, 35 corner with via Mazzini
    • ITIS Volta Technical Institute (1960-66), spalto Marengo 42
    • "Teresio Borsalino" hospital, previously Vittorio Emanuele III Sanatorium (1929-35), viale Forlanini 2
    • Mother House of Divine Provvidence (1929), isolated between vie Faà di Bruno, XXIV maggio, Tripoli and Moncalvo
    • Expansion of the Borsalino retirement home (1935), isolated between vie San Pio V, Ghilini, Savonarola and corso Lamarmora
    • Agorà Complex (corso cento Cannoni, 25 / corso Borsalino)

Lunch at leisure during the tour. At the end of the guided tour end of services. 

INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS 
Monferrato Travel tour operator
info@monferratotravel.it - 3755930100

TECHNICAL ORGANISATION 
PROFESSIONAL THIRD-PARTY LIABILITY AND GUARANTEE FUND
Monferrato Travel by Monferrato To Taste srls Vat n°. 03936680044
Via Genova 128 Spinetta Marengo 15122 Alessandria

Photographs © Gabriele Basilico Archive
www.archiviogabrielebasilico.it